How To Be A Happy Camper

With busy schedules and technology taking so much of our attention, we are electronically close, but becoming physically distant. As a mom, this makes me be even more diligent on taking the time to escape and bond with my family, and as @TheParkWife, I have a recommendation for you…camping!

One of the things that is overwhelming when preparing for a camping trip is packing and meal planning. But, I think I can help.

5 Tips to get you ready for your camping trip without pulling your hair out:

How many meals will you need? Go ahead and write out a list of meals from start of trip to finish. Plan meals where you will eat out on the road and how many you will have once you have pitched the tent or settled the RV.

Go ahead and plan what you will have at each meal. Figure out the meals you want and all the ingredients you need to make those meals happen. This is also a good time to consider the order in which you eat your meals. Want to pack fresh produce? Make sure you eat it early in the trip.

How many people and their capacity. I have two boys who are bottomless pits, add in a day of hiking and they are ravenous. This is when an extra package of Petit Jean Bacon come in handy.

Go Shopping.Make sure to shop your pantry first, then head out. Tip: Every camping trip needs a morning with bacon cooking over an open fire. That smell brings back so many wonderful childhood memories.

Repackage. Prep. PackRepackaging food is great way to determine portion sizes ahead of time, avoid carrying trash that you’ll have to pack out when the trip is over, and make sure that everything is in a durable, easy-to-pack container.

Pasta boxes, for example, take up a lot of room in a pack. Think about using durable plastic bags to repackage food, since they’re waterproof and easy to repurpose as food gets eaten. Yes, they hold stray Legos! Make sure to label food that’s easy to mix up. I might be speaking from experience.

Packing:

The main thing is to just get out there, enjoy God’s creation, and make memories with your family!

Camping bacon tips from @theparkwife:

I use two methods.

For crispy bacon over an open fire: Weave each strip of bacon onto a skewer, leaving a gap between weaves. Then, continue weaving more strips on the skewer, leaving a few inches empty at th